adjective
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(of an action) negligent; careless
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(of a person's appearance) slovenly; down-at-heel
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slipshod
Explanation
When someone does something in a slipshod manner, they do it in a way that's careless and sloppy — that isn't right. An easy way to remember the meaning of slipshod is to note that "shod" is part of "shoddy," another word for slipshod. (Alert: despite their similarity, slipshod isn't genetically related to shoddy.) Or you can use "slip" to clue yourself in. Originally, someone who looked slipshod was wearing worn-out slippers: they were shod in slippers.
Vocabulary lists containing slipshod
Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"
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It must have slipped my mind...
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The overall impression I get is of a generally slipshod approach to maintenance," he added.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
And it’s merely one example of the bill’s slipshod construction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
But she still objected to her colleagues’ slipshod way of killing it prematurely over the shadow docket.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2025
Prosecutors accused Boylan of a slipshod approach to training, leaving everyone on board responsible for their own safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2024
Colonel Cathcart was a slick, successful, slipshod, unhappy man of thirty-six who lumbered when he walked and wanted to be a general.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
